Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 60

Who are your musical inspirations, both
male and female?
James Jamerson, Larry Graham, Pino
Palladino, Carol Kaye, Victor Wooten,
Jaco Pastorious, Michael Manring, Herbie
Hancock, Paul Jackson, Ralph Armstrong,
Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Rhonda Smith,
Esperanza Spaulding, Cindy Blackman,
Bobby Vega, Rocco Prestia, TM Stevens,
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Headhunters, Outkast,
James Brown, Bootsy, Coltrane, Mingus, Ida
Funkhouser… too many to name!
In an industry dominated by male
musicians, do you find that this hinders
or helps your opportunities?
I try not to look at things in terms of male/
female. I’m sure it comes into play at times,
but I believe it is best not to concern myself
with that. I just try to be the best player I can,
show up, be professional and have fun.
What is your opinion of the image
of female bassists in today’s music
industry?
There seems to be a growing number of female
bassists and I love it! It’s a very cool thing to
witness.
What specific challenges do you face as
a female bassist? What do you feel are
the advantages?
I suppose it is possible that I am not hired
for certain gigs because I am a woman, or
that I am specifically hired for gigs because I
am a woman. There is certainly some of that
happening in the business right now. For me,
at the end of the day, it’s about the music. The
fact that I am a woman is irrelevant (unless it’s
an all-female band obviously, like Zepparella).
My hope is that I am hired because I am
Photo: B ill Reitzel

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